Colby College Suspends 12 Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct

Colby College, a liberal arts school
in Waterville, Maine, suspended 12 students for violating school
policies in an incident on campus last year involving sexual
misconduct.

Two other students left the school and the case against a
15th student is still pending at the college, Michael Kiser, a
spokesman for Colby, said today in a phone interview. The
college won’t discuss details about the November incident to
maintain student privacy, he said.

The infractions included sexual misconduct and harassment,
lying to college officials and conspiring to obstruct an
investigation, William Adams, the school’s president, wrote in a
Jan. 12 e-mail to the college community. The suspensions ranged
from one semester to multiple terms.

“The severity of the sanctions should make it clear that
we have taken these cases very seriously and that we will not
tolerate behaviors and actions antithetical to our community
values,” Adams wrote in the e-mail.

Colby consulted with the Kennebec County District
Attorney’s office and local police, and it was determined the
case didn’t constitute a crime, Adams said. No criminal
investigation was initiated.

Since the incident, the school has held two campuswide
forums, Kiser said. About 1,800 students attend the college.